Valletta 2018’s Tal-Kultura volunteer programme is turning citizens into symbols of Maltese and European culture. JD Farrugia tells Iggy Fenech what they’re up to and why volunteering is such a vital part of being an active citizen.

JD Farrugia

Volunteering is a buzzword that not everyone is comfortable with. Yet, as someone who has volunteered time and energy into a variety of causes, I think that there’s a lot one can get from doing something not for the money but because they believe in it. This vision is shared by JD Farrugia and is part of the ethos of Valletta 2018’s Tal-Kultura volunteer programme, which he is currently the managing.

“Our mission is to mobilise active citizens to volunteer within the Valletta 2018 cultural programme and to encourage more people to experience volunteering, especially in the arts and culture sector,” he explains. “I myself have volunteered for a number of different organisations and causes and I still do today, and I’ve experienced how empowering it can be.”

At the crux of such a pivotal time for the local arts and culture scene, every pair of hands is invaluable and Valletta 2018, as a national initiative to bring people closer to art and culture and which is creating a stage on which local and international artists can display their work, is definitely a cause worth supporting. Nevertheless, volunteering should never be one-sided.

So… What’s in it for the volunteers?

“The obvious benefit of volunteers to Valletta 2018 is their contribution towards helping events run a bit smoother,” JD continues. “This is undeniable and we’ve already had the pleasure of witnessing our team help out in events for a number of different entities such as the Arts Council Malta, Spazju Kreattiv, Inizjamed and Kopin as well as the ongoing Valletta 2018 projects, of course.

We’d like to build a large, diverse team of enthusiastic people from all sectors of society and to give them the chance to network, too

“Having said that, our main goal is to give volunteers an enriching and empowering experience… We’d like Tal-Kultura volunteers to gain valuable skills in their sectors, which could contribute to their future or current employment. We’d like to build a large, diverse team of enthusiastic people from all sectors of society and to give them the chance to network, too.”

The team behind Tal-Kultura is adamant about this and each person who volunteers is met individually to ensure that the volunteer’s motivations and goals are also achieved through the experience.

Then, after an induction training session, they are each given more hands-on training prior to every event they sign up for, ensuring that volunteers feel comfortable doing their job and get real and tangible experience working in the thick of things like event organisation.

Part of the Tal-Kultura team.

“Our volunteers are many and varied,” JD explains. “Some are looking to enhance their CVs or portfolios, for example, while others are students in the arts and culture sector, including photographers, graphic designers. We have some who are particularly interested in research or event coordination, some who are retired and are looking to do something constructive with their time and even some people who recently moved to Malta and who wanted a good opportunity to integrate or to find out what’s going on the island. We take note of all of these factors and do the best we can to make sure the volunteers get what they’re looking for.”

To join Tal-Kultura volunteering programme you need to be at least 18 years of age, but that is pretty much the only requirement. In fact, there are volunteers from over 20 different countries who have worked or are training in numerous industries. And, as JD reveals, “our oldest volunteer so far is 65”.

Moreover, in 2015, Valletta 2018 signed an agreement with SOS Malta, an NGO with vast experience in volunteering programmes, giving SOS Malta the responsibility of managing Tal-Kultura and ensuring the programme works as smoothly and as efficiently as possible for both sides. The official programme, which was launched in February 2016 and is now in its tenth month, has seen over 350 volunteers giving over 1,300 hours in over 15 different events and activities.

“The title of European Capital of Culture was given to the country and not just to a few individuals in the cultural sector. If we can give the people the opportunity to really take ownership of everything that is going to happen in the next few years, we will ensure that the story of Valletta 2018 is ingrained in the people and will live on through them.

“The legacy Tal-Kultura wishes to create is also one of active citizenship. We would like to encourage more people to understand the concept of civil society and how, through volunteering, people can help bring about the changes they’d like to see in society,” JD concludes.

The applications for Tal-Kultura will remain open throughout 2017 and 2018. But now is the best time to join. This gives those interested the time to become acquainted with the workings of a European Capital of Culture and to have enough time to truly master their new skills before the buzz hits a climax.

www.talkultura.org